WEATHERFORD – Southwestern Oklahoma State University and the SWOSU Athletic Department are mourning the loss of SWOSU Athletic Hall of Fame baseball coach Larry Geurkink, who passed away earlier this month.

A native of Enid, Okla., Geurkink was a standout baseball player at Phillips University before embarking on a successful coaching career. He arrived at Southwestern in 1977 following an 11-year run as a high school head coach at Edmond, Stroud and Putnam City, where he compiled a 316-121 record and was selected to coach the South team in the 1971 All-State game.

During his 22 years leading the Bulldogs, Geurkink built a reputation for producing winners with his aggressive and exciting brand of baseball. He guided SWOSU to a 607-520-1 record before retiring in 1998, while being named District 9 Coach of the Year three times (1984, 1987, 1992). Geurkink remains the longest tenured head coach in Bulldog Baseball history.

His teams captured conference titles in 1987 and 1992, and his 1995 squad left a lasting mark on the program by advancing to the NAIA Area Finals, falling just one run short of qualifying for the NAIA World Series.

Geurkink's contributions were recognized with his induction into the SWOSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, where his legacy as a builder of Bulldog Baseball endures.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8, at Emmanuel Enid (2505 West Owen K Garriott, Enid, OK 73703).